Liz Crouthamel

I care about doing what's right, not what's popular. Sometimes that takes longer to garner support, or it might be a bumpier road, but it's a more worthwhile type of lifestyle to live. There are a lot of times we could make easy choices and let the chips fall as they lie and not care about the impact we have on people. I think that the more we care about the impact we have on others, the nicer kind of world we're gonna live in. I firmly believe there's nothing that cannot be accomplished without collaboration, and I've always been someone who wants to leave things better than I found them - whether that's social situations, places I go, or the people I'm with. My grandmother always said, leave it better than you found it, and that's how I try to live my life both personally and professionally.

A friend once told me, listen to your gut - she knows what she's talking about. That advice literally saved my life when I had severe preeclampsia during pregnancy. I think that applies to professional life as well - if you think something feels off, it might be that there's something off, or maybe you're not meant to be in that situation. I also learned to be confident in yourself and in your decisions, even if they're the wrong ones, because somebody that cares about you will help align you with the right decisions moving forward. And that comes from being open with other people. The last thing I'll say is get a mentor - get somebody that you look up to, that you value, that is living their life in a way that you would want to see your life unfold. If you can learn from them and they're willing to teach you, that's the best experience you can get. If you're really lucky, you'll find somebody that can help you professionally, athletically, and personally.

There's space. There's space, and whatever way you want to take up that space, there's space here. Women can and should make up 50% - 50% of the social media correspondence, 50% of the coaches, 50% of the officials, 50% of the administrators that help facilitate programming. There is space for everyone. The beautiful thing about our sport is that we are continuing to provide new opportunities and continuing to grow, which means we are limitless with the amount of people we can reach and impact. Show up. Take up the space. Ask the questions. Nobody likes to answer a question they've already answered ad nauseam, but anybody that sees you taking that interest, that passion, and trying to grow it - they'll sit with you for hours to make sure that you get what you need. When you find that mentor, when you find that person that you care about and who cares about you, they value you for being exactly how you are. When you find your people, they value you for you being exactly as you are. The passion leads who I am, and I've always been accepted for exactly as I am in hockey because the passion leads.

One of the biggest challenges I've faced is being taken seriously because I'm on the younger end. I've also found that a lot of people have a hard time admitting when they don't know something, but I've always been one to say, let me take it apart, let me look at it from different angles, have we considered doing this? I'm a very eager, solution-oriented, seeking person. With this sport specifically, we're trying to grow it but we sometimes lack the existing framework - we're reverse engineering everything. We have to be creative, think outside the box, and collaborate with other agencies to figure out what works really well and what doesn't, and how we can improve for the next go-around. The opportunity is that we're creating communities and opportunities that previously didn't exist, that people didn't even think would come to fruition. We're making it happen, and we're doing it well and easily. The things we thought we could accomplish, we're accomplishing them and more. Our goal is to become a nationally recognized governing agency and eventually an internationally recognized Olympic sport, which requires 40 countries to follow the same set of rules.

Integrity is at the core of everything I do - I believe in holding myself to a higher standard of self-integrity, which attracts other people towards me. I care deeply about doing what's right, not what's popular. Collaboration is essential - I firmly believe there's nothing that cannot be accomplished without collaboration. Empathy is crucial, especially in understanding that everyone comes from different backgrounds and experiences. I'm incredibly positive - I even bought a hat that says Positive State because I wanted to bring positivity wherever I go. My grandmother always said leave it better than you found it, and that applies not just to places but to people and social situations. I believe in caring about the impact we have on others because the more we care, the nicer world we're going to live in. I also value being authentic and true to myself - when you find your people, they value you for being exactly as you are, and the passion leads who I am.